\u2014 Thijs Zonneveld (@thijszonneveld) October 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n During discussions with the riders, the organisers admitted that, in the circumstances, their safety could not be guaranteed due to the lack of a police escort, with the revamped race relying on volunteer drivers.<\/p>\n According to Sporza<\/a>, several riders had ignored these volunteers \u2013 who were low in numbers after many failed to turn up \u2013 during today\u2019s stage, and during the neutralisation period, more chaos ensued, as a lorry driver also made his way onto the course.<\/p>\n Speaking to the teams and riders on the road, organiser Thijs Rondhuis explained that 25 traffic marshals did not appear when the race was neutralised after the first motorist entered the route.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s why the neutralisation was so chaotic,\u201d Rondhuis said, reports Wielerflits<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe fully secured the area from kilometre zero. We had several situations where other road users ignored stop signs from traffic controllers. They stopped at the side of the road, then started driving again, stopped again, and then started driving again.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the sign, that\u2019s the red line, that we can\u2019t do this without police.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cFor now, the race for the third stage of the Tour of Holland is over. So, we\u2019re stopping for two reasons. One, and that\u2019s by far the most important, is your safety.<\/p>\n \u201cThe second is that we must use this situation to ensure we have sufficient police presence in the future to continue organizing races like the Amstel Gold Race, the ZLM Tour, and the Tour of Holland.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we don\u2019t, we simply won\u2019t have any more cycling races in the Netherlands. We will therefore seize this opportunity to force the police presence for the future and put it back on the political agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWithout police, cycling isn\u2019t possible\u201d<\/p>\n Today\u2019s cancelled stage and Rondhuis\u2019 pointed comments about safety come amid increasing concerns from organisers about the lack of police presence at races in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n In recent years, races in the Netherlands have come under increasing pressure due to the limited availability of specialist motorcycle police officers, who play a crucial role in making sure the events pass smoothly and safely.<\/p>\n Since 2018, the number of races that require police escorts have been reduced by over half, with many races opting for smaller, completely closed circuits.<\/p>\n Both the Dutch Cycling Union (the KNWU) and the Association of Cycling Race Organisers (VOW) have previously expressed hope that potential new legislation could allow civilian motorcycle traffic controllers to be deployed at races, to cover for the lack of trained officers.<\/p>\n >\u00a02025 Dutch cycling calendar in jeopardy as police say two-day NATO summit means motorbike officers will be unable to marshal races for eight months \u2013 as organisers argue \u201ccycling is part of the solution\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n In 2023, a study was launched and commissioned by the KNWU to evaluate whether civilian traffic controllers could, either completely or partially, take over from police officers at races, while maintaining the events\u2019 existing safety standards.<\/p>\n Published last year, the study \u2013 which included a series of pilot schemes during the 2024 season<\/a> \u2013 concluded that civilians could make a \u201cvaluable contribution to relieving the pressure on police motorcyclists\u201d, provided they are trained properly, have effective means of communication, and can be clearly recognised.<\/p>\n However, judging by today\u2019s events, those three factors appear to be sorely lacking at the revamped Tour of Holland.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s cancellation means that four days into the race, only one road stage has been completed, after stage one was bookended by a prologue time trial and then a longer race against the clock, both won by Hayter.<\/p>\n However, Rondhuis is optimistic that, with the race passing into the Drenthe region tomorrow,\u00a0his event can continue to its planned conclusion on Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cOn Saturday, we\u2019ll be riding in Drenthe. There\u2019s a 23-kilometre approach, and after that, we\u2019ll stay in the area around the VAM-berg.<\/p>\n \u201cThat ride will be extremely secure thanks to the Motor Begeleids Team Assen. They rode the Elfstedenrace last year and Dwars door Drenthe this spring. I personally guarantee your safety there. On Sunday, we’ll be riding on a closed circuit in Arnhem. I personally guarantee safety there as well,\u201d he told the riders and teams.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like crying rather than laughing,\u201d he continued. \u201cBut the organisers and the teams don\u2019t discuss safety. We tried; I thought it was possible. But it turns out it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had 130 motorcyclists and about fifty traffic controllers on Friday. We\u2019re doing it with almost two hundred people. It just didn\u2019t work out. And then you just have to admit that sometimes things just don’t work out. End of race. We\u2019ll continue on Saturday. And again, guys, apologies!\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement issued following the stage\u2019s cancellation, the Tour of Holland said: \u201cAfter a turbulent neutralized section, an oncoming car, having been stopped twice, chose to ignore the signal from the motorcycle marshals and continued driving.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a result, the riders refused to continue racing. The organisation respects the wishes of the riders and team managers.\u201d<\/p>\n >\u00a0Ineos Grenadiers and other teams refuse to continue French stage race after motorist almost drives into cyclists at roundabout \u2013 day after another driver strayed onto course and caused crash<\/a><\/p>\n Today\u2019s chaotic scenes at the Tour of Holland, involving members of the public driving into the path of bike races, comes just eight months after the \u00c9toile de Bess\u00e8ges stage race descended into chaos following a series of similar safety incidents.<\/p>\n The annual early season stage race, which takes place in the Gard department of southern France, saw motorists driving on the race route, one of which caused a crash, and which led to over half of the teams quitting the race in protest.<\/p>\n During the opening stage, riders were forced to avoid a lorry and several cars that were lined along the road in the final 10km.<\/p>\n And the following day, another motorist strayed onto the route and drove towards the bunch<\/a> \u2013 after reportedly being told twice to leave the course by race officials \u2013 before rapidly reversing off the road.<\/p>\n The driver\u2019s actions led to a crash in the peloton as the riders slowed to avoid the motorist, resulting in Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe\u2019s Maxim van Gils abandoning the race with injury.<\/p>\n That incident appeared to have sparked a \u2018make the race safer or we\u2019ll go home\u2019 narrative from the teams towards the organisers, one that was unfortunately enacted almost immediately the next day, when another seemingly unsuspecting motorist made their way onto the circuit just 12km into the third stage<\/a>, driving in the opposite direction to the race at a roundabout and almost colliding with the bunch.<\/p>\n The peloton immediately stopped for over an hour as union representatives discussed the seemingly never-ending safety issues with the organisers, eventually leading to a number of teams \u2013 including the Ineos Grenadiers, Lidl-Trek, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, and EF Education-EasyPost \u2013 to head back to their buses and quit the race.<\/p>\n![\"Tour](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/tour-holland-stage-cancelled.jpg\" "\\"Tour")
Tour of Holland stage cancelled (credit: Cor Vos)<\/p>\n![\"\u00c9toile](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/etoile-stoppage.jpg\" "\\"\u00c9toile")
\u00c9toile de Bess\u00e8ges stopped as riders protest over cars on course (credit: Lotto)<\/p>\n![\"Driver](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/driver-makes-their-way-course-causing-crash-etoile-de-besseges-eurosport-2.png\" "\\"Driver")
Driver makes their way onto course, causing crash at \u00c9toile de Bess\u00e8ges (credit: Eurosport)<\/p>\n